but you might not know just how good he is...thanks Joan, for reminding us. And thank you Fran Martin. This deserves to be seen, and you deserve to make lots of money for what you can do.
Angela's Ashes' author Frank McCourt on death's doorstep as he battles meningitis
BY Dave Goldiner DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Thursday, July 16th 2009, 2:22 PM Altman for News
Author Frank McCourt is battling meningitis and is not expected to live, his brother said. Take our Poll Work of Frank McCourt
Which is your favorite of the famed local author and NYC school teacher's books?
Angela's Ashes
Tis
Teacher Man
Famed author Frank McCourt is on death's doorstep as he battles meningitis, his brother said Thursday.
The 78-year-old "Angela's Ashes" author, who has been fighting skin cancer, is in a hospice and "his faculties (are) shutting down," said Malachy McCourt. "He is not expected to live."
McCourt - a former city school teacher who won the Pulitzer Prize for his memoir - was being treated for melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.
He was doing well enough that his doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center recently allowed him to return to his home in Connecticut.
"He was out and about, being active, doing talks and so forth," said Malachy McCourt, also a writer.
About two weeks ago, he contracted meningitis and his condition deteriorated rapidly.
Malachy McCourt said about one in 25 melanoma patients also wind up getting meningitis - "he was one of the unfortunate ones."
"He's still conscious, but his hearing has gone and his eyesight is going," Malachy McCourt said. "He's speaking less."
Frank McCourt, an unlikely literary star, taught English in New York public schools for decades including 17 years at Stuyvesant High School.
He shot to international prominence in 1996 with the publication of his first book, "Angela's Ashes," which became an instant best seller and won a fistful of awards.
The eloquent memoir tells the story of his impoverished youth in Ireland.
A second book, "Tis" continued his life story, picking up when he returned to New York, where he was born, as a teenager.
Frank McCourt's third book, "Teacher Man" chronicled his years in the classroom. Ads by Yahoo!
I can start a new group anytime now….all I have to do is have a name…and some interest other than Teresa’s…we two really aren’t big enough to qualify for group status….
How much interest is there…?Let me know what the hell ya want and I’ll try to make it happen…
Keep the Craicers name….or???Craic House revised…or something different ???
because I moved it to a different album at the site...duhh...who knew? Anyway Hi Lanie....glad you're still checking in once in awhile. It's raining here tonight too...has knocked out our primary cable channels...but it was a really pretty day. I felt good enough to eat 2 good meals...even prepared one of them...LOL
I don't feel like going to bed...it's only 10...but it's nippy, and there's nothing much on the upper channels worth watching.
A friend from the local here stopped in to chat awhile this evening...she heard about a place for sale here...I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be large enough for us, but will do a drive by tomorrow to check it out. I gave her my few extra zucchini seedlings, she said hers didn't sprout up, and I sure don't need more than the few I potted. It was nice of her to think of us re the place for sale. Was the first time in 2 years anyone local has even come to the house to visit. Naturally she's allergic to cats tho....oh well....
There are a few decently priced trips on Travelzoo.com. I would love to go for a visit again but a part of me feels like I should go somewhere else that I've never been before...Italy? Spain? Greece? To name just a few...But I really miss Ireland. :)
There are other sites, as most of you know, but it's a sad puzzle nonetheless. The Sheridan is a pith and vinegar tonic for all of us...I don't believe he would be cruel enough to abandon us...
I have edited this post to add the critical word 'tonic' that was MEANT be there originally. Jaysus...excuse the inexcusable error.
if anyone besides me cared enough to start a conversation here...I kept waiting, and hoping, but so far it's been disappointing.
Nothing much else to say...it should be a busy time, being spring n' all, but the weather here is not pleasant, and not much else is positive enough to make it worth posting. I'm sure I'm not alone feeling this way.
Emmy-winning actress Bea Arthur, best known as star of the hit TV comedies 'Maude' and 'Golden Girls', has died at 86.
Arthur, who won Emmy awards for both 'Maude' and 'Golden Girls,' died of cancer at her Los Angeles home.
She is best known for her role as the sardonic Dorothy, a divorced substitute teacher in the 'Golden Girls', sharing a house in Miami with her mother and two other previously married women, Blanche and Rose.
Estelle Getty, who played the role of her mother, died last year.
Arthur is survived by two sons and two grandchildren.
in a LONG time. It actually boosted the atmosphere and attitudes of the 'happy hour' crowd, none of whom are too happy at the moment, due to factors none of us can control...it was amazing; how little it takes to elicit a better mood
and have it recorded on tape, burned to disc and have the October Road CD that it came on, I really never thought a lot about James Taylor until I heard this...and I started listening close. He's a helluva guy. And this is a helluva song.
Gmail? For a couple days now it's been loading so slowly....takes forever to load, and open...and when I try to delete most of the posts I can't click on the checkbox...I've had to revert to using the older version as a result, removing the background. That seems to work okay, but hmm it just ain't right...shouldn't have to do that every time I want to check my mail.
from Eliza Gilkyson...I just found her today...love her strong, easy vocal style...gawd she's good! I'll be buying one song at least, "Midnight in Missoula", from iTunes. And, maybe "Jedediah", which is a chilling anti-war statement...
It was on this day in 1945 that Franklin Delano Roosevelt died in office. He died of a cerebral hemorrhage at his home in Warm Springs, Georgia. That evening, Harry S. Truman took the oath of office. Eleanor Roosevelt called Truman to the White House with the news of her husband's death. He asked her, "Is there anything I can do for you?" And she replied, "Is there anything we can do for you? For you are the one in trouble now."
Easily adaptable for more servings and individual taste.
I've used molasses instead of brown sugar, hot sauce or cayenne instead of hot peppers, and added liquid smoke a number of times. Tomato paste or sauce might be as good as catsup.
I always try to use pure New Mexico Chili powder, but any good chili powder works.
Since Worstershire sauce is soy based you probably don't even need the added salt.
Any kind of coffee works...I happen to prefer the stout flavor of Yuban, but even instant works fine, long as it smells robust in the cup.
Ingredients:
1 cup strong black coffee
1 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 cup catsup
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 Tbs chili powder
2 tsp salt
2 cups chopped onions
1/4 cup minced hot chili peppers
6 cloves garlic, minced
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for 25 minutes. Strain or puree in a blender or food processor. Refrigerate between uses.
Several times I've made this for Christmas and used pretty jars/containers for 'packaging' portions for gift giving.
If you keep eating raw spaghetti you'll get pinworms, then I'll have to make a necklace of garlic for you to wear each night while you sleep, until they go away. If you're mean to your younger brother, I'll know because I have a special eye that spies on you when I'm not home. You cannot hide from it, so don't try. If you touch your "down there" any time other than when using the toilet, your hand will turn green and fall off. If you keep crossing your eyes they will stay that way until the wind changes direction. It is bad luck to kill a moth. Moths are the souls of our ancestors and it just might be Papa paying a visit. If you kiss a boy on the mouth your lips will stick together and he'll use the opportunity to suck out your brains. If you ever lie to me God will know and rat you out. And sometimes God exaggerates. Trust me — you don't want that to happen.
Found the above in Writer's Almanac the other day...
my Mom only told me about the face freezing...but there were other things...
If your front gets wet while you're washing dishes...you'll marry a drunkard, sure!
If you keep eating salt that way your arteries will harden and you'll die.
Ladies do NOT smoke on the street.
If you go barefoot your feet be huge and ugly. I'll have to buy gunboats to fit you!
Don't ever call me Maw! *
Plucking your brows that thin takes all the character out of your face.
NEVER write anything on paper that you don't want shouted from the rooftops.
What did your Mom tell you?
* I never called her anything close to sounding like 'Maw'...but a friend of mine gave her a coffee cup that had it printed on it...she TOLD HIM! And later, threw the gift away. She was a manic about 'refinement' and 'breeding', though I never thought about it until long after she died.
Well, Folks (chuckle). It's Uncle Leo, and I'm back, just like I said I'd be.
*big happy smile*
What's new and newsy?
*smile*
Uncle Leo
leosprycat wrote on Apr 23, '09, edited on Apr 24, '09
My, what a nice little place this Sylvan Glade is. And I love that little house at the top. Folks (big smile), I'm Uncle Leo.
Angharod (smile), thanks for your kind invitation. This is such a nice little place you have here.
I'm going to have to quit the group for a little while until I can figure out how to use "Multiply" a wee bit better (chuckle), and then I'll be back, with bells on; if all goes as expected.
I just wanted to check in right away and say, "hi"; and "thanks for the invitation".
